Work-piece holder for electroplating machines



Jan.16,1940. A. H. HANNON 2,187,079

WORK-PIECE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATINQ MACHINES Original Filed July 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l 29/! II I99 23 I 3 I (1L) r v Jrwuooz/ 75 ALBERTHIHANNOIVI Gunman/4,

'- Jan. 16, 1940. A. H. HANNON 2,187,079

I WORKPIECE HOLDER FQR ELECTROPLATING MACHINES Original Filed July 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 66 I I I ALBERT H. HHNNON,

Patented Jan. 16, 1940 alarms WORK-PIECE nomma Foa ELECTBOPLAT- 1NG MACHINES Albert H. Harmon, Springfield, Ohio Originalapplic'ation July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,170. Divided and this application February 4, 1937, Serial No. 123,945

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electroprocessing machines, and in particular, to work-piece holders consisting of rotatable containers in which the work-pieces are tumbled as they are carried 6 through the various treatment baths.

One object of this invention is to provide a work-piece holder for electroprocessing machines consisting of a container with perforated walls, the bottom of which container is formed in such 1d a manner as to impart an additional tumbling motion to the work-pieces as the container is rotated. I

Another object is to provide such a container for electroprocessing machines consisting of a 3- perforated barrel mounted upon a rotatable shaft,

this barrel having a bottom portion with a special configuration, adapted to impart an additional turning and tumbling motion to the workpieces as the barrel rotates while it is immersed $9 in the treatment solution.

Another object is to provide a work-piece container for electroprocessing machines consisting preferablyof a trusts-conical barrel with a projecting portion adapted to provide a turning effect to the work-pieces as the barrel rotates while immersed in the treatment solution.

Another object is to provide such'a container as set forth in the foregoing objects, this container being of perforated metal covered with 3d rubber extending through the perforations, on

both sides of the barrel, so as to protect the barrel from the efiects of the acid.

Another Object is to provide such a'container supported upon a rotatable member, which in turn, is mounted in a bracket adapted to be carried by the conveying apparatus of an electroprocessing machine, the rotating means for the rotatable member and the supporting means for thebracket being insulated from the barrel and its connected parts so as to provide an efiective separation of the electric current from the conveying portion of the machine.

This application is a division of my copending application, Ser. No. 91,170, filed July 17, 1936.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side. elevation of the work-piece container of this invention, showing the bracket and its connections, with the conveying mechanism at one end-of an electroprocessing ma- 5o chine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation taken at right angles to the container shown in Figure l, with the container and its associated mechanism transverse the side .portion of the machine shown in 3 Figure 1.

(Ci. 264-l1) Figure 3 is a central vertical section through the work-piece container, rotating means and supporting bracket of this invention.

Figure 4 is a cross section along the line l4l inFigure 3, showing the major parts of the con- 5 tainer in top plan view.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the container shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a. portion of the container wall shown in Figure 3, iii: disclosing the manner in which the rubber covering extends through the perforations and sur-. rounds the metal wall of the container.

In general, the work-piece holder of this invention consists of a barrel-shaped container 35 mounted on a rotatable member which is rotatably supported by a bracket. The rotatable member is rotatable in any suitable manner, such as by a worm gear, and the bracket is attached to the conveying apparatus of an electroprocessi ing machine. The details of the machine itself form no part of the present invention, and are disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 91,170, filed July 17, 1936. The bottom of the container is made with a special configuration, 25 as brought out in Figures 3 and 5, to impart an additional tumbling efiect to the contents while the container is being rotated during its immersion in the treatment solution or electrolyte.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 at shows an end portion of an electroprocessing machine, generally designated lll, the details of this machine being simplified merely to show the connecting mechanism of a typical apparatus upon which the work-piece holder may be used. For this purpose the machine I0 consists of a vertical standard H, arranged adjacent a solution tank l2 and having bearing supports l3 for rotatably supporting a screw shaft 14. The

standard I I also supports longitudinal members 4,1) l5 constituting chain guides for a sprocket chain I 6 serving as a conveyor chain. The chain guides l5 form a frame upon which the operating mechanism of the machine is supported, and are connected to other standards H (not shown). 45

, Mounted upon the longitudinal members 15 donstituting the chain guides is a support [7, to which a bearing arm [8 is secured as by the bolts l9. This bearing arm I8 is provided with a vertically directed bearing 20 arranged to rotat- 5o ably support a vertical shaft 2| upon which are mounted a bevel gear 22 and a sprocket 23, the latter carrying the sprocket chain I 6. Lubrication for the bearing 20 is provided by an oil cup 24. Meshing with'the bevel gear 22 is a bevel Q pinion mounted upon a horizontal shaft 26, rotatably supported in the bearing block 21 constituting an intermediate member between the support l1 and the arm IS. The shaft 26 is rotated by a motor and reducing gear (not shown).

Secured to one pin 28 of the sprocket chain I6 is a chain bracket 29 carrying upper rollers 30 for engagement with the outer wall of the chain guides l5 (Figures 1 and 2)., and lower rollers 3|. The lower portion 32 of each chain guide I 5 is bent to form a bevel-like rail in which the rollers 3| are adapted to travel. The upper part 33 of. the chain guide I5 is bent over so as to guide the sprocket chain "5, it being assisted in this guidance by the upper rollers 30. This roller construction aids in supporting the weight of the moving parts. The conveyor chain It pursues an orbital path around the machine in response to the rotation of the shaft 2! and sprocket 23, and is suitably supported at the opposite end of the machine by an idler sprocket (not shown).

Insulatedly mounted upon the machine is a cathode rail 34, contact with which is madeby a slider 35 connected by the flexible members 36 to the carrier arm 57. The slider 35 consists of a bronze contact pad universally mounted upon the chain bracket 29. The carrier arm 37 is pivotally mounted upon a cross shaft 38 supported in the bosses 39 (Figure 2). The cross shaft 38 is surrounded by an insulating sleeve ill (Figure 3) adapted to insulate the carrier arm 37 from the remainder of the machine. The carrier arm 31 is provided with a projecting portion 4i having a bore 42, within which a pin 43 is secured, as at M. The pin 33 is provided with an enlarged head 45, and serves to support a bushing, preferably a bronze bushing it, which in turn is surrounded by an insulating bushing i'i. Mounted on the insulating bushing ill is a roller 48, this being additionally insulated from the carrier arm 3? by the insulating washer 48 (Figure 3). The carrier arm 31 is provided with a bore or socket 50, within which is mounted a downwardly extending non-rotatable shaft 51!.

Rotatably mounted upon this shaft iii, as by the anti-friction bearings 52 and 53, is a sleeve 5% with an enlarged portion 55. Surrounding the enlarged portion 55 is an insulating bushing 56, which serves to support a worm gear 51. The worm gear 51 is thereby effectively insulated from the remainder of the work holder mechanism, and operatively engages the screw shaft M for imparting rotation to the work holder. Similarly, the insulated roller 48 engages a rail 58 which is provided with undulating portions (not shown) for raising and lowering the work container over various partitions in the tank 12. When the roller 48 engages such an arcuate portion, the. carrier arm 31 is forced outwardly around'its pivot shaft 38, causing the shaft 5|, sleeve 54 and the associated elements to be raised.

Mounted upon the sleeve 54 is a spider, 59

having radiating arms 60 terminating in boresv 6i. Passing through these bores 6! are the connecting rods 62, the latter being securedas by welding to the wall, generally designated 63, of the work holder container, generally designated 64. The connecting rods 62 are provided with threaded portions 65, carrying nuts 66 by which the container 64 is secured: to the spider 53. The spider 59 is provided with an internal socket 61 for the reception of the anti-friction hearing 52 and the retaining member 68 and collar 69 associated therewith. Mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 5| is a holder 10 with a hole II for the reception of a chain-like member 12. In this manner the chain-like member 12 conducts electricity from the work carrier arm 31, by way of the shaft 5|, to the work-pieces within the work holder container 64. The insulating bushings 56, 41 and 40, previously mentioned, prevent the escape of electricity through the portions adjacent thereto. The walls 63 of the container 54 are constructed of heavy metal 13, with perforations 14, and surrounded on all sides by a rubber-layer 15 (Figure 6) in such a manner as to permit the solutions to pass through the perforations without injuring the material of which the barrel is constructed.

The bottom or end wall, generally designated 16, is composed of relatively tilted portions 11 and 18 (Figure -3) separated by the intervening portions I9 and 80. Thus the arrangement of the bottom portions 11 and 18 at angles to one another causes the portions 19 and 80 to engage the work-pieces so as to give them an additional tumbling effect when the container 64 is rotated. This results in a screw-like motion as the barrel is rotated while it is being carried through the various solutions by the conveyor chain it.

In the operation of the device of this invention the screw shaft 14 and vertical shaft 2! are rotated, causing the chain bracket 29 to be moved horizontally along the machine until the worm gear 51 meshes with the rotating screw shaft 14. When this occurs the worm gear 5'! is rotated and imparts a similar rotation to the sleeve 54, the spider 59 and the container Electricity is conducted to the contents of the container from the cathode rail 34 by way of the slider or contact pad 35, the flexible members 36, the carrier arm 3i, the shaft 5!, the holder '50, and the flexible chain-like member '32.

The rotation of the container 54 turns the Work-pieces over and over, and this effect is greatly accentuated by the action of ti e portions '19 and 86' between the relatively tilted bottom portions '11 and 18. In this manner the work-pieces are not merely turned over and over, but are also given an end-over-end tumbling motion by the screw-like action of the portions '59 and 8t associated with the tilted bottom portions 11 and 18. This motion causes the work-pieces to be thoroughly turned so that all sides thereof are exposed to the action of the electrolyte or treating solution, thereby increasing the quality of the treatment and shortening the time necessary for treatment. The rubber coating of thecontainer effectively prevents the attack of the metal portions 13 by the solutions as the container 64 moves through the tank 12.

It will be understood that X desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. A work-piece holder forelectro-processing machines comprising a perforated basket-shaped container having side walls and a substantially circular end wall, said end wall comprising substantially semi-circular portions tilted relatively to each other with the diameters of the semicircles at an angle to each other for imparting an additional tumbling motion to the work-pieces in said container, and means for rotating said container.

work-pieces an increased tumbling efiect over that imparted thereto by the end wall alone.

3. A work-piece holder for electro-processing machines comprising a perforated basket-shaped container having side walls and a substantially circular end wall, said end wall comprising substantially semi-circular portions tilted relatively to each other with the diameters of the semi-circles at an angle to each other and connecting projections therebetween covered with resilient ma- 10 terial to prevent denting oi the work-pieces.

ALBERT H. HANNON. 

